The ARRL July 2018 Board of Directors meeting minutes have been published on the league’s website.  I wanted to share with you some of the highlights of the meeting.
The Volunteer Monitoring (VM) program was announced to replace the official observer program.  The VM program was developed in response to the now smaller FCC enforcement department in an effort to identify situations that need addressing, gather suitable evidence and present the findings in a way that will potentially result in swifter responses from the FCC.  More information can be found at http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-board-adopts-volunteer-monitoring-program-official-observer-program-to-be-retired
The Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES) is getting an overhaul.  New membership levels, training materials, and ARES Connect, an online membership database are a few of the changes.  Our three Section Emergency Coordinators have been given a copy of ARES Strategic Plan and asked to submit comments to ARRL HQ.  More information can be found at http://www.arrl.org/news/ares-continues-move-toward-enhanced-training-paperless-reporting
The ARRL Articles of Incorporation were updated to include volunteer indemnification, add “the national association for Amateur Radio” to the front page and update the Board of Directors election schedule.  The details are contained in the meeting minutes and the arrl.org website will happen soon.
The meeting agenda and minutes are on-line at http://www.arrl.org/board-meetings
The various committee reports are on-line at http://www.arrl.org/committee-reports
The Dakota Division is looking for a new Contest Advisory Committee member.  The Contest Advisory Committee was tasked with studying aspects of digital mode contests and the November ARRL Sweepstakes.  If you have an interest, please contact me directly.
I hope you enjoy the rest of your summer.  I look forward to visiting South Dakota members in Sioux Falls and Rapid City later this month.  The fall hamfest season is near and the Dakota Division calendar has been updated at www.arrldakota.org. Vice Director Nelson is planning to attend the RRRA hamfest and ARRL North Dakota State Convention, September 29th, in West Fargo.

​Several Dakota Division members have asked me about the final report on
our fellow amateur radio operator’s mission to Puerto Rico in 2017.  I
found it timely to read the report as we get ready for the 2018 severe
weather season.  It has many points of what went well and what we could
do better on the next large-scale deployment.  It got me thinking…
What can we do better to be prepared to serve our communities?  As you
peruse the report, think about what value you can add and changes you
can make to your local SKYWARN/ARES/AUXCOMM organization to best prepare
for the 2018 storm season.

Thank you to the “Force of 22,” who deployed to Puerto Rico, the
ARRL HQ Staff, deployment helpers in Florida and Georgia, net control
ops, corporate donors and the American Red Cross who supported the
deployment near and from afar.  It is important we support the amateur
radio operators who call the islands home.  Oscar Resto KP4RF, Puerto
Rico Section Manager, and Fred Kleber K9VV, US Virgin Islands Section
Manager, are two of the 392 ARRL members that are rebuilding their homes
and communities long after the hurricane warnings have passed.  I would
like to thank our lone member of the “Force of 22” from the Dakota
Division, Guillermo Narvaez, N0GUI, spent a good part of his deployment
in the mountains of central Puerto Rico.  I thank him for sharing his
experience with fellow Dakota Division members and his commitment to the
study of helping communities restore their economy and social well being
after disaster strikes.  With the help of the University of Minnesota,
he has provided disaster response and conducted research in several
countries around the World.

Direct link to the article:
http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Public%20Service/ARES/2017%20Hurricane%20Season%20AAR.pdf

Link to the ARRL web site page that contains the report.  Scroll to the
bottom:
http://www.arrl.org/ares-annual-monthly-reports

n.Here's an opportunity to hear about amateur radio and emergency
response, from our lone Dakota Division representative, on the "Force of
Fifty."

The purpose of this email is to ask you to spread the word about an
interesting and timely presentation at the SEMARC March meeting on
Tuesday, March 27 at 7:00 PM at the Zion Lutheran Church in Cottage
Grove Minnesota. Directions to the Church can be found at
www.semarc.org.

The program will be offered by Dr. Guillermo Narvaez, N0GUI, of the U of
M and is entitled "Reflections on the Role Ham Radio Played in the
Recovery of Puerto Rico in the Aftermath of Hurricane Maria".

Dr. Narvaez was one of the "Force of Fifty" deployed by the ARRL and the
American Red Cross to re-establish communications on the island. He will
share his experience with the deployment, equipment and how we might
best prepare for similar eventualities throughout the U.S. and
internationally.

Members of the larger amateur community are invited to join SEMARC at
this presentation.

Signup on the ARRL website to have bulletins from the Dakota Division leadership and ARRL Board of Directors meeting minutes sent to you via e-mail.  After you login to www.arrl.org click on "Edit Your Profile" near the top of the page

Click on "Edit Email Subscriptions"

Choose the bulletins you would like to receive and click "save"

On January first, I began serving as your Dakota Division Director.  I want to thank Kent Olson KA0LDG for the serving as our Division Director, Vice Director and North Dakota Section Manager.  He has been a great role model for me as I learned the ropes as your 2016-2017 Vice Director. The past eleven days have gone by quickly as 2018 Vice Director Lynn Nelson and me prepare for next week’s ARRL Board of Directors meeting in Connecticut.  I have completed my review of the motions being proposed to date, which have been posted to the Division web site so you can form your own opinions.
The first motion is submitted by Central Division Director Carlson.  He is proposing changes to the Code of Conduct that make it clear that a director can share their public vote and share their opinions with members.  Left intact is the original author’s spirit that board members must at all times always act with dignity and integrity, both inside and outside of Board meetings, reflecting the ARRL’s high standards for ethical behavior and professionalism.  I support the motion because I hope the updated language will clarify what the document is and is not.  I signed the board's code of conduct and have no problem following it.  I feel I can freely share my opinions with my fellow directors and have my opinion heard at board meeting proceedings.  Once the vote has been tallied, it is my obligation, in a public setting, to present the board's decision, not my own.  The board and all the ARRL staff and volunteers need to present a unified voice when we speak in public or with government officials.  Once the ARRL Board of Directors establishes a formal position on a topic, the failure to proceed forward with that unified public opinion is a disservice to the members and a detriment to the hobby.
The next set of motions are from the Executive Committee.  Delta Division Director Norris (and the entire committee) put forth significant time to assemble these proposed changes to the Articles of Association and Bylaws.  I support all the changes proposed except for EC-6 and EC-12.  I am working with the authors to understand the full meaning of the proposed changes before I put my support behind EC-6 and EC-12.  As you review the documents and formulate your own options, I encourage Dakota Division members to submit their feedback to me.
Hudson Division Director Lisenco has submitted a series of motions for discussion.  I agree with motion #5 yet disagree with other motions to give board officers (President, Vice Presidents and Treasurer) voting privilege equivalent to a director.  I am open to hearing Dakota Division member feedback on Director Lisenco’s motions.
I was not a participant in the censure of Dick Norton.  Vice Directors did not participate in the discussion nor have a vote.  I hope the 2017 board has put the matter to rest and the 2018 board will focus on how do we get more people into the hobby, increase league membership and strengthen our relationships with the FCC, ITU, local public safety officers, and non-governmental agencies like the Red Cross.
I do not expect unanimous consent on all motions being proposed.  However, I do expect that we will treat each other with respect, have honest discussions and achieve consensus on matters that will benefit ARRL members, the amateur radio community (home and abroad) and the hobby we all enjoy.
Thank you for the choosing me as your representative for the Dakota Division for the ARRL Board of Directors.  I look forward to the opportunity to serve you.
73 Happy New Year,
Matt Holden K0BBC
Director, Dakota Division
Important Links:

Board meeting agenda and motions, Hamfest calendar, division leadership contact information http://www.arrldakota.org/documents.html
ARRL By-Laws http://www.arrl.org/arrl-by-laws
ARRL Articles of Association http://www.arrl.org/arrl-articles-of-association
​

The votes are in, and the ballots have been tallied at ARRL
Headquarters in contested Director and Vice Director elections.

In a two-way race to fill the Dakota Division Director's chair being
vacated by Kent Olson, KA0LDG, the Division's members have elected
Matt Holden, K0BBC, of Bloomington, Minnesota. Holden, the current
Vice Director, received 698 votes, while Dean Summers, N0ND, of
Dickinson, North Dakota, got 345 votes. Holden had been appointed as
Vice Director in February 2016 after former Director Greg Widin,
K0GW, became ARRL First Vice President. Olson announced earlier this
year that he would not seek another term.

In a four-way race for the Vice Director's chair that Holden will
vacate, the winner was Lynn Nelson, W0ND, of Minot, North Dakota.
Nelson earned 427 votes; Tom Karnauskas, N0UW, of Owatonna,
Minnesota, received 338 votes; Chris Stallkamp, KI0D, of Selby,
South Dakota got 175 votes; and Jay Maynard, K5ZC, of Fairmont,
Minnesota, picked up 93 votes. Nelson is North Dakota Section
Manager, while Stallkamp is South Dakota Section Manager.

​The Ethics and Elections Committee established the eligibility of
all candidates and declared all unopposed candidates elected for
3-year terms starting January 1, 2018.

Many individuals have loved ones in Puerto Rico and they are
understandably hopeful that Amateur Radio operators can relay messages
to them. As a result, some are contacting amateurs with requests to
pass message traffic to the island.

At the same time, individual amateurs and clubs have reported that
local press representatives have contacted them to request information
about Amateur Radio involvement in Puerto Rico. This is likely to
increase as word spreads in the national media about our activities.

For inquiries from the public, ARRL advises that these individuals
should be informed that amateurs traveling to the island to support
the American Red Cross effort will be tasked with handling outbound
traffic only. With that in mind, members of the public should access
the American Red Cross Safe and Well System online at
https://safeandwell.communityos.org/cms/index.php. Status information
from friends and relatives in Puerto Rico will be entered into the
system as it arrives from amateurs stationed there.

For press inquiries, please ask reporters to contact ARRL directly at
newsmedia@arrl.org.  A system has been established at ARRL
Headquarters to respond to press inquiries in a timely and accurate
manner.